


And Afterwards, She Was Alone.

by BabyPom



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Attempts at wordbuilding, Backstory, Does It Count As Major Character Death If It's Not A Canon Character?, I Think It Does., I wrote this before Lapis Lazuli blasted off to space., Original Lapis Lazuli Characters Had To Be Created For This To Work...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-12 23:21:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12970647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BabyPom/pseuds/BabyPom
Summary: When Lapis Lazuli was a young gem, she was given a reason to fear the diamonds. But before that, she had friends.





	And Afterwards, She Was Alone.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this before Lapis Lazuli blasted off to space, but I didn't have time to post it then, and I didn't have the heart immediately afterwards. So here it is now!

Before any gem is sent on a real mission, an important mission, they are first sent on a training mission. This is true for any gem type, the soldier gems would be placed on a planet, a training camp, until they passed enough tests to be considered worthy of serving in any of the diamond's ranks. A zircon would spend their first years handling minor disputes before being given any case with any real significance at all. A Lapis Lazuli would spend their first years among other young Lapis Lazuli's, being given a small insignificant moon or planet, and told to terraform it around a pre-designed plan together.

Other than when a planet’s landscaping really needed to be rushed, this would be the only time the Lapis Lazuli's would be able to meet each other outside of the occasional meetings with superiors back on homeworld, so they had to make sure that they wouldn't get close enough to miss each other. A Lapis Lazuli is made to have a lonely life, and it would not do to forget them. 

So when they worked together, never exchanging more than a few words, never giving each other nicknames like the Jaspers that guarded them on the way to this lonely moon did for each other. This was the only way to avoid attachments. Unfortunately, it often failed.

Lapis Lazuli 24-11 was often paired with Lapis Lazuli 24-5, their chosen physical forms were opposites, and they terraformed in opposite ways as well, which meant they worked in perfect harmony, opposing forces working together. 24-11 was a sarcastic being, her hair short, and she wore her carefreeness with her clothes which split her diamond in the middle, her terraforming would start out in broad sweeps, getting the general picture first, and filling in the details later. 24-5 was a more upright being, she was overly concerned with regulations, and her hair was long enough to need to be plaited to avoid treading on, her terraforming would take forever, she would finish the details of a small area before moving onto another, and would always come back to correct it. Together they would be successful. 24-11 would take the landscape and 24-5 would be given the most important areas to perfect.

Although they knew they shouldn’t, and they tried not to, decreasing how much they talked as much as possible over time, they grew to care for each other. 

They would know and work with others too.

Shy Lapis Lazuli 24-1 was most eager to join them when another was needed, the group of three or four smaller than the other groups she would be placed in otherwise. Lapis Lazuli 24-27 would often be placed with them too, she tended to insult and criticize those around her too much, to the point where many refused to work with her.

This made things worse in 24-11’s viewpoint. Eventually she started to care for these two recurring figures in her life as well. And sher knew this was bad for her.

Eventually the plans were completed, and the planet finished. The planet belonged to Yellow Diamond, but the Lapis Lazulis themselves would be split between all four of the diamonds, being chosen by the diamonds themselves to serve them.

On the few days before Yellow Diamond arrived, they had nothing to do but wait. 24-11 went off to one of the islands herself, to watch as the sun set. The light flickered across the surface of the planet’s ocean- making the sea appear a brilliant red for a minute before fading. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and batted it away with one of her wings. 

It was 24-5. 

“Five, do you think we’ll ever meet again?”

There was a pause, 24-5 sat down beside her. “There are going to be progress meetings, and times when we will both be back on homeworld filling out paperwork. I’m sure we will see each other then.”

“Sure, we’ll see each other- but we won’t really meet, we’ll just be colleagues that don’t talk. Do you really think we’ll be able to see each other?” 

“I don’t know… but we have now, at least.”

They didn’t speak anymore, they didn’t need to. 24-5 leaned sideways onto 24-11’s shoulder. They stayed there, in place until the sun rose again after three hours, rising behind them, casting shadows.

The day came. Yellow Diamond had arrived to inspect the planet. All 30 of the Lapis Lazulis of set number 24 lined up, waiting for her arrival. She arrived, taller than they expected, but instead of looking up, the Lapis Lazulis continued to look forward. After they had “graduated” they would be permitted to look up at the Diamond, but not before then. 

“Where is the first of this group?” She spoke in a commanding tone.

Poor 24-1 stepped forward, shaking. She looked like she was going to poof from fear alone at any moment. “I am here.” her voice was shaky as she spoke.

“I will be inspecting this miserable planet. You shall be my guide. The rest of you shall stay here, in place, until I return. First, we will see structure 133.”

24-1 led Yellow Diamond to the warp pad, it took her a few seconds to actually activate. Yellow diamond already looked annoyed, and her pearl was smirking at them.

After they had gone, there was silence for a bit, and then chattering started up. 

“I sure hope Number One sent them to the right place- she always uses the warp pads incorrectly.”

“Shut up Double 24- I’m sure she’s doing fine!”

“She has a point- Number One looked like she’d rather shatter herself than show Yellow Diamond around.”

“I hope Yellow Diamond chooses me, she’s so pretty- she should have chosen me to take her around.”

The chatter went on and 24-11 rolled her eyes, while 24-5 tried in vain to get them to quieten down and behave. 24-27 was trying to find out who had insulted number one, and was loudly threatening to thump them hard enough they’d still feel it when they reformed.

Eventually 24-1 did return, and after stepping off the warp pad, she did poof, but quickly reformed. “I’m so sorry, she’s just ….terrifying” she was still trembling. “She’s gone to see a few things herself- she’ll be back soon.”

When Yellow Diamond did return, “you will tell me who terraformed structure 412. NOW.”

It took a second, but 24-11 remembered than she was one of those who did. She stepped forward at the same time as 24-5 did. “Which one of you excuses for a gem screwed up my instructions?” Neither replied. “There is no mountain there- I specifically requested a mountain!”  
24-11 was confused- she could have sworn that she placed a mountain there- green rock with blue glaciers, and a side cut steep just ready for a tall building to be made up the side. 

It was now that 24-1 stepped forward again, visibly shaking. “That’s my fault, my diamond. I may have- damaged the mountain….” her sentence was cut off, by Yellow Diamond’s finger, pushing her down, destroying her physical form and causing her to poof for the second time that day. Yellow Diamond went to crush her, but was stopped by a yell, 24-27 stepped forward. “Yellow Diamond, have mercy…. Crush me instead.”

Yellow Diamond paused, “Leave, and fix the mountain, all of you.” She held onto 24-27’s arm, as the rest left to the warp pad. Working, they didn’t talk, but instead held hands. They didn’t want to leave, be separated, or serve under this diamond not now. Eventually they had to return however, but they had long finished their task by then, having spent time just standing, faces blank, not wanting to return to that sight. 

They returned to shards on the floor and 24-1 standing over them, her face blank in a way that scared them all. Yellow Diamond was gone, and there were Jaspers, ready to escort them away, on to their new assignments and lives.

She was chosen to work for Blue Diamond, and she thanked her lucky stars it wasn’t Yellow.


End file.
